Soap dispenser



p 1952 c. A. RISHER 2,611,648

SOAP DISPENSER Filed Feb; 28, 1950 23 Carl A. R/sher IN V EN TOR.

Patented Sept. 23, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SOAP DISPENSER Carl A. .Rishcr, Indianapolis, Ind. Application February 28, 1950, Serial No. 146,863 Claims- (01.7299-83) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in soap dispensers and more particularly to automatic means formixins powdered soap with water. of a supply pipe for feeding a detergent solution to a hand or mechanical dish washer, or for other purposes.

The invention is designed primarily for use in. the kitchens of hotels, restaurants and other es- 'tablishments where large numbers of dishes must .be quickly and thoroughly washed by mechanical or other means, audit is an cbjectofthe inven tion to automatically supply a soap solution to the washing machines in regulated amounts to most efficiently and economically accomplish washing operation.

Another object: is to connect the soap dispenser in they water supply p pe in a mannerto entrain a soap solution with the flow of water and rodeliver the same to a designated point.

A further object is to provide means for easily and quickly connecting a replaceable tanir con-- tainlng powdered soap in a. water, supply pipe whereby the water in anydesired proportion may passthrough the tank formixing anddischarging the soap'with the water and without necessitating ciltting'off of the water supply. to the pipe.

A; still further object is to-providc a pipe fitting for supporting and connecting a replaceable powdered soap container to a water supply pipe and including a spring loaded valve in the fitting held in closed position when the tank is removed therefrom-and in which the valve is opened by the action of placing the tank in position on the fitting.

Another object is to provide a device or this character of simple and practical construction, which is efiicient' and reliable in operation, relatively incxpensiveto manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages-reside in, the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

, Figure 1 isa vertical sectional viewer the replaceableitank shown connected to a water sup l p pe, and

Figure 2 is an. enlarged vertical sectional view of the fitting on which the tank is supported and. showing the spring valve in closed position.

Referring now to the drawingsin detail wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of my invention, the

2 numeral 5 designates a tank of predetermin capacity, and having. a pair of openings 6 and, 'l in its bottom. V 7

An inverted U -shaped tube 8 is attachcdat s ends in the openings, the tube preferably being constructed of a tube section 9 having a goose neck ill connected to a, straight tube section H;

The lower end of tube section 9 is connected in opening 6 by an internally and externally threaded stem i2 threaded in the openingandalso threaded to the tube 9. Stem I2 is formed With a bulbous nipple {3 which projects downwardly from the bottom of the tank and in which a, ball check valve I4 is housed. Openings or notches l 5 are formed in the lower end of nipple 13. The lower end of tube section i I is connected in opening 7 by an internally and externallythreaded stem i6 on a downwardly proiectingnipplefl which also extends belowthe bottom of the tank;

The upper end of straight tube sectionH-is provided with a flared fitting l8 sleeved tightly over the end or goose neck Ill andan opening; I9

is formed in one side of the lower-portion of goose neck Hi with a bendable tongue 29 united at one end with the goose neck and inclined upwardly on theoutside of the opening l9'to admit-liquid into the tube 8 from, the tank, in regulated amounts and to form a deflector to prevent the how in the-outlet side of the tube fromentering the tank. I

A Water supply pipe is shown at 2| to whicha fitting, such as a T-fitting 22, is suitably connected and to which a conventionaltype of manual cut-off valve 23 is connected. A valve housing 24 is connected on top of valve 23 having an interna1 valve seat 25 against which a disc' type valve 26 is held by a coil spring 21 forcing the valve ZEupwardly into closed position.

A tank support 28 is formed on top of valve housing 24 and includes a downwardly tapering passage 29 above valve seat 25 for receiving nipple 13 with a liquid tight fit, and a shelf structure 30 is formed at the top of valve housing 24 on which the tank rests. p

In the operation of the device the valve .23 and tank support 28 are connected to a water supply pipe preferably in the manner illustratedinthe drawingszand a snap-on type faucet or hose is attached to. nipple I 1 to provide .an' tlet orthe liquid passing-through tube 8 to a. dishwashi s machinemot shown) or to a sink or other. receptacle for washing dishes by hand.

Soap powder 3! is placedin tank, 5m a predetermined amount and the tank is placed-on shelf 3i) of thetank support. 28 and with thenipplel3 entering passage 29 to force valve 25 downwardly into its open position. Water from the supply pipe 2| then enters tube 8, the force or pressure of the water opening check valve I4.

The tube section 9 is formed with a plurality of orifices or nipples 32, one of which is positioned adjacent the lower end of the tube section 9 to loosen and prevent caking of the soap powder. The remaining nipples 32 are positioned above the level of the soap powder 31 to fill the upper portion of the tank with water and agitate the solution above the level of the soap to thoroughly dissolve the soap before entering tube 8. I

As the pressure in the tank and tube 8 becomes equalized the flow of water through the tube will create a suction at opening 55 to draw the detergent solution in the upper portion of the tank into the tube to mix with the flow to thus automatically supply a washing solution to a desired point.

The alkalinity of the solution is regulated in accordance with the character of the water by constructing the tongue at a desired angle with respect to opening I9 to increase or decrease the proportion of detergent solution entering tube 8. This may be done at the time of assembling the tube in the tank, and the tube may be easily removed from the tank by detaching nipples l3 and I! to adjust tongue 20 and for refilling the tank with soap.

After the tank is supplied with soap and the tube 8 assembled therein, the tank is placed on support 28 and nipple l3 inserted in passage 29 of the support to engage and open valve 26 whereupon water enters the tube 8 from supply pipe 2| to fill the tank and dissolve the soap and the solution thus formed then passes through opening l9 and is carried to the dishwasher or other point of use with the water passing through the tube.

When the supply of soap in the tank is consumed the tank is lifted from support 28 and replaced by a replenished tank, and as the tank is lifted the valve 26 is automatically closed to cut off the water from passage 29 without interrupting flow of Water through supply pipe 2i.

Should supply pipe 2| be cut oil or pressure therein reduced beyond a working point while the tank 5 is in position, check valve M will close nipple I3 to prevent the solution from draining back into the supply pipe to contaminate the water and the check valve It will also prevent dripping of solution from the nipple l3 during removal of the tank. A cross pin 3| in nipple 13 provides a stop for check valve 14 to prevent the latter from closing tube 8 when the valve is moved upwardly into its open position.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the construction, operation and advantages of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A soap dispenser comprising a tank adapted for containing a soluble detergent partially filling the tank, an inverted U-sha-ped tube in the tank and having inlet and outlet ends, a fitting at each end of the tube projecting downwardly through and connected to the bottom of the tank and supporting the tube in an upright position in the tank, means connecting the fitting for the inlet end of the tube to a water supply, said tube having an opening in the tank adjacent its inlet end for feeding water into and dissolving the detergent and also having an opening above the level of the detergent to agitate the dissolved detergent, and a controlled port in the tube admitting dissolved detergent therein from the tank for entraining with the fiow in the tube.

2. A soap dispenser comprising a tank adapted for containing a soluble detergent partially filling the tank, an inverted U-shaped tube in the tank and having inlet and outlet ends, a fitting at each end of the tube projecting downwardly through and connected to the bottom of the tank and supporting the tube in an upright position in the tank, means connecting the fitting for the inlet end of the tube to a water supply to provide an upfiow side at the inlet end of the tube and a downfiow side at the outlet end of the tube and disposed entirely within the tank, said upflow side of the tube having orifices filling the tank with water to dissolve the detergent and maintaining equalized pressure in the tank and tube, and said downflow side of the tube having an opening admitting dissolved detergent from the tank for entraining with the flow in the tube.

3. A soap dispenser comprising a tank adapted for containing a powdered detergent partially filling the tank, an inverted U-shaped tube in the tank and having inlet and outlet ends, a fitting at each end of the tube projecting downwardly through and connected to the bottom of the tank and supporting the tube in an upright position in the tank, means connecting the fitting for the inlet end of the tube to a water supply to provide an upflow side at the inlet end of the tube and a downfiow side at the outlet end of the tube disposed entirely within the tank, said upfiow side of the tube having orifices filling the tank with water to dissolve the detergent and maintaining equalized pressure in the tank and tube, and said downfiow side of the tube having an opening admitting dissolved detergent from the tank for entraining with the fiow in the tube, and means carried by the tube and concealed in the tank for regulating said last named opening to vary the proportion of detergent and water passing from the outlet of the tube.

4. A soap dispenser comprising a tank adapted for containing a powdered detergent partially filling the tank, an inverted U-shaped tube in the tank and having inlet and outlet ends projecting downwardly from the bottom of the tank, means connecting the inlet end of the tube to a water supply to provide an upflow side at the inlet end of the tube and a downfiow side at the outlet end of the tube, said upflow side of the tube having orifices filling the tank with water to dissolve the detergent and maintaining equalized pressure in the tank and tube, and said downflow side of the tube having an opening admitting dissolved detergent from the tank for entraining with the flow in the tube, and a deflector on the tube and disposed exteriorly of the tube adjacent said last named opening to divert the downfiow from the opening.

5. For use with a liquid supply pipe, a soap dispenser comprising a vertically disposed tubular member having a horizontal supporting flange at its upper end, a tank including a flat bottom and a valve in the tubular member preventing the passage of liquid from the tubular member prior to the placement of the tank upon the supporting flange, one of the extensions extending into the tubular member and engaging and retaining the valve in its open position, said tube having a plurality of openings therein to permit liquid passing through the tube to mix with and entrain detergent in the tank, said one of said extensions being located centrally of said bottom wall for centering said tank on said supporting flange.

CARL A. RISHER.

REFERENCES oiTEfi The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 653,728 Burkitt July 17, 1900 1,163,635 Baldwin Dec. 14, 1915 1,427,105 Handlan Aug. 29, 1922 1,430,840 Ostler Oct. 3, 1922 1,596,182 Hooper Aug. 17, 1926 1,782,095 Jensen Nov. 18, 1930 Vizay June 4, 1946 

